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16.2.16

Every once in a while you'll hear some words that will comfort you in the idea that you're doing the right things & going in the right direction.

After a last minute decision to make my way to Toronto for All Star Weekend I logged onto Twitter to find out that Bryan Espiritu (founder of LegendsLeague) and Ronnie Fieg (founder of KITH) were going to give a talk on entrepreneurship that weekend.

I've been following both Espiritu and Fieg for a couple of years and their moves are nothing short of inspiring so I - obviously - signed up to attend the Shopify-powered event.

At the hour long conversation, they discussed the importance of doing what your gut tell you is right, never compromising your vision and being committed to your goal. They also touched on the subject of surrounding yourself with a team that you feel will grow with you, help you grow and will be as committed to the vision as you are. In the words of Fieg, "you get to a certain point and from there you are only going to get as far as your team can get you".

This was honestly one of these moment where every word resonates because they are saying what you think but can't find a way to phrase properly. It left me inspired and ready to get to work on a project me and a friend have been plotting on for a little while. You need to find time for the things that you want to make happen and if need be, be a boring friend from time.

I'm hoping that a video becomes available soon so I can update the post with it and the many gems they shared.

28.1.16

I got lost on Goldlink, SPZRKT & Masego's Soundcloud accounts and discovered a few gems. A new artist that I fell for is Toronto's Layla Hendryx, her airy vibe paired with tough lyrics is a combination that I love. The production on her newly released EP is also pretty good. Miguel & Travis Scott succeeded at make a song that I already love better and Pharrell & ASVP Rocky released a *fire flame emoji* song.

19.2.15

I was just tweeting about it and I got inspired so I figured I would write something on the subject of social networks, more specifically Twitter, Instagram & Snapchat, and why they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

THE NUMBERS

Twitter was created in March 2006 and counts 288 million active monthly users, 500 million of tweets are sent per day. (Twitter owns Vine that has 70 million users). Instagram was created in October 2010 and counts over 300 million active users (Instagram was bought by Facebook in 2012 for $1 billion). Snapchat was created in September 2011 and counts 100 million active users with over 700 million photos and videos shared by day (Facebook tried to buy Snapchat for $3 billion).

Sidenote: the Blackberry became popular in the US around 2006 and the first iPhone came out in 2007.

WHAT THEY ARE

Twitter is a network that allows you to share messages within 140 characters with the people that subscribe to your updates. You can also share pictures (and now) videos on Twitter.

80% of Twitter users are active on mobile. After losing the bidding war for Instagram against Facebook, Twitter added a feature that allows you to add filters to your photos before sharing them on Twitter. (Facebook tried to buy Twitter too for $500 million a couple years ago.)

Instagram is a photo-sharing network that allows you to take pictures and videos (up to 15 seconds), edit them with a filter and/or external photo editing app and share them. Like Twitter, the people who subscribe see your updates. Instagram can be viewed on a desktop computer but you can only share pictures through a smartphone.

Snapchat is a photo and video messaging app. You can share photos and videos (up to 10 seconds) with your contacts and they will disappear as soon as they view them (unless your contacts have jailbreaked iPhones, careful). Another feature of Snapchat is that you can share content in what's called your Story. This content will stay there for 24 hours and can be viewed by your contacts as well as people who subscribe to your channel (same concept as Youtube). Recently Snapchat added a Discover feature that allows brands to have their channel on a special tab and share content, this content changes every day. Today they added a feature that allows you to add music from your library as a soundtrack to your "snaps". Snapchat can only be used on a smartphone as well.

WHY THEY WIN

Twitter wins because the user is the one who makes the use that he wants out of it. Twitter allows you to engage with people you find interesting and find people who share the same interest as you. Hashtags are a great way to find these people and because YOU have the choice between 288 million users, you can change your timeline from one day to the other. You can also create lists to separate your different interests. Instagram works the same way since you pick who you follow and you have millions of options there as well. Whether you're interested in photography, travel, makeup, music, food, fitness, etc. there is a niche for you on Instagram and there's people you can follow to find what you're looking for.

In my opinion, right now, Snapchat is one of the greatest social networking app. It is such a great tool it's incredible. Whether you're an artist, a makeup artist or someone who just wants to market themselves and show what they can bring to the table, Snapchat is for you. Because the content is limited in length and has an exclusive appeal to it (you can only share a 10-seconds video or post a photo for 10 seconds or less and it's only there for 24 hours), you are 99% sure that the people subscribing to your Snaps will view your content. Which is why Madonna chose this app to premiere her new video. This move was such a win for Madonna (trying to reach millennials - Snapchat users) and for Snapchat (the video premiered on the day they launched the Discover feature - it's Madonna, enough said). The Discover feature of Snapchat hosts channels for some big platforms (CNN, Buzzfeed, Vice, etc.) and is by default on the cellphone of Snapchat user around the world which means that your content being featured there gives you a 100 millions reach (the impressions will depends on who actually opens it). Enough said.

WHY THEY ARE HERE TO STAY

What these networks have in common is that they are optimized (or created) to be used on smartphones and - like the war between Apple and Samsung to have the monopole of that market shows - these are not going anywhere anytime soon. Another thing is the fact that they are a blank canvas, when you first create your account, your timeline is empty. You create your experience. You're the one who pick and choose who you follow and therefore the message you're exposed to and what you see. You can always switch things up by unfollowing/following different people and you have millions of options. The final reason is that most people love to share their opinions, what's going on in their life, etc. Plus, there is no denying that they are great networking tools, by following someone on Twitter and/or Instagram you can get an idea (idea) of their mindset and if you share the same mindset as them and possibly make new friends (sorry Drake).

There really is no denying the importance these social networks have in our society today, from being at the heart of debate about relationships to being mentioned by the likes of Kanye West, J. Cole, Drake & Big Sean to only mention artists I've been listening to recently.

26.12.14

This is a subject that I've seen float around on Twitter a lot since J. Cole went gold in two weeks with a very minimal (almost non-existant) marketing plan and other artists did less with way more.

The way I see it, the answer is as simple as to each his own.

To elaborate, I decided to go through my three recent favourite album roll out strategies and what makes them strategies even though it does not obviously look like it.

J. Cole is an artist that is NOT out there, you have artists posting Instagram posts and tweets everyday but J. Cole is not one of them. Therefore when he is active on these social networks you pay attention because it's rare and when it does happen, there is a purpose behind it. Cole studied communication so I believe that he know what I know and one of my favourite takeaway from my 3 years of studying communication: the medium is the message.

All pictures on this site are property of Aïda at I Fell For That unless stated otherwise. These images are not to be duplicated, copied, modified or used on any site other than this one or else legal action will be required. All photos which do not include myself are property of the source cited unless noted otherwise.